Interlocking coupler

ABSTRACT

The knuckle of a railway car coupler has a dog extending from its distal end, which dog is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. The dog enters a hole in the adjacent portion of a body of another coupler to prevent the separation of the couplers by vertical movements with respect to each other. The dog is resiliently urged into said hole and has a projecting surface which rides on the body about the hole to limit the penetration of the dog into the hole. The springs that provide this resilient urging are on the ends of a shaft pivotally mounting the dog in the knuckle and also permit vertical movement of the dog with respect to the knuckle. If there is excessive vertical travel of the dog in the aperture, cam faces on the top and bottom of the aperture force the dog outwardly.

United States Patent Hawthorne Oct. 17,1972

[54] INTERLOCKING COUPLER [72] Inventor: Vaughn T. Hawthorne, 5223 Deerfield Road, Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17055 22 Filed: Dec.28, 1970 211 App1.No.:101,923

[52] US. Cl ...2l3/153 [51] Int. Cl. ..B6lg 3/04, B6lg 7/14 [58] Field of Search ..2'13/153 [56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 749,245 1/1904 Welsh ..2l3/153 803,069 10/1905 Power ..213/l53 Primary ExaminerDrayton E. Hoffman Attorney-Darbo, Robertson & Vandenburgh s71 ABSTRACT The knuckle of a railway car coupler has a dog extending from its distal end, which dog is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. The dog enters a hole in the adjacent portion of a body of another coupler to prevent the separation of the couplers by vertical movements with respect to each other. The dog is resiliently urged into said hole and has a projecting surface which rides on the body about the hole to limit the penetration of the dog into the hole. The springs that provide this resilient urging are on the ends of a shaft pivotally mounting the dog in the knuckle and also permit vertical movement of the dog with respect to the knuckle. If there is excessive vertical travel of the dog in the aperture, cam faces on the top and bottom of the aperture force the dog outwardly.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures INTERLOCKING COUPLER BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the serious problems involved in derailments is the failure of most couplers to interlock to one another in a manner to prevent uncoupling by a vertical movement of one coupler with respect to the mated coupler. Most couplers slip freely in a vertical direction. If a car fails at the end and the coupler is pulled from the car, the coupler falls to the ground between the rails. It is very likely that a derailment will result. Anotherv problem is when the adjacent car derails and the couplers slip apart tending to permit the cars to overturn or to jam up by reason of failure to follow one another in serial order. Instances of serious damage occur where the couplers separated and one was driven through the end of a tank car permitting the contents to escape.

A type F coupler, as designated by the American Association of Railroads, was designed to overcome these problems. While it does prevent downward separation because of the shelf located under the opening, it does not prevent a standard coupler (not having a shelf) from rising vertically and becoming disengaged. Many such standard couplers are still in use and will continue to be used for many years. Also, the type F coupler is initially expensive and difficult to maintain.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a coupler structure which will prevent a pair of mated couplers from separating by a vertical movement of one with respect to the other. This will be achieved even though only one of the two mated couplers is equipped with an embodiment of the present invention. It is automatic in operation and needs no special manipulation by personnel at the time of coupling or uncoupling of the cars. It is positive; particularly, if the couplers are misaligned when initially coupled they will become vertically locked together at the first instant thereafter that a reasonable vertical alignment is achieved. I

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description.

The present invention relates to a vertical movement locking device comprising a dog in one (it could be both) of the knuckles of mated couplers, which dog enters the hole in the other coupler body to prevent vertical separation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pair of mated couplers having an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of a single one of the couplers; and

FIG. 3 is a partial section as viewed at line 3-3 at FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT The following disclosure is offered for public dissemination in return for the grant of a patent. Although it is detailed to ensure adequacy and aid understanding, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions or further improvements. The claims at theend hereof are intended as the chief aid toward this purpose, as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out the parts, improvements, or combinations in which the inventive concepts are found.

In the following description the identifying numbers are applied to one of the two couplers illustrated in FIG. 1, while the same numbers with a prime thereafter are applied to the respective components of the other coupler.

The illustrated couplers comprise a body on which a knuckle 11 is pivotally mounted by means of a vertical pin 12. The knuckle has a tail 13 by which it is locked'in the mated position by a lock 14 which can be moved out of the way to permit the knuckle to pivot about its pin and thereby uncouple the two cars. The knuckle tail and the lock are received within an internal opening 15 in the coupler body, which internal opening has an external hole 16 at-the face of the end of the body. As so far described, the construction is conventional.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 19 of the knuckle 1 1 has a cavity 20 therein. In this cavity is a dog 21 having a face part or enlargement 22 and a projection part 23. The projection part is. received within the hole 16 of the mated coupler and is curved so as to be free of any structure within opening 15, particularly the lock in that opening. The dog is mounted on a shaft 24 to which it is secured. This shaft is received in vertical opening 25 in the knuckle. At each end, the shaft has a groove 27 in which is seated one end of a spring 28. The other end of spring 28 is seated in a groove 29 in a cap 30. The two caps 30 are fastened in place as by means of screws 31. The proportions are such that the dog can move up and a down within aperture 20 against the resistance of springs 28, to an extent such that the top or bottom of the dog can contact the top or bottom of the aperture.

' The springs also supply a rotational force to normally position the dog outwardly from the aperture 20.

- The parts of the knuckle that define the top-and bottom edges 33 and 34, respectively, of the opening 20 j are formed as cams. The top and bottom edges 35 and '36 of the dog, respectively, serve as cam followers. These cams and cam followers are so arranged that when one of the cam followers comes in contact with the respective cam, the dog 21 is urged in a direction outwardly of the cavity 20.

When two cars, one of which is equipped with the present invention, are brought together for coupling, the outwardly projecting dog 21 engages with the body 10 of the other coupler by reason of the projection 23 entering hole 16'. The face part 22 of the dog contacts the body 10' about the hole 16' so as to limit the extent of penetration of the dog into the hole. The projecting part 23 is substantially smaller in a vertical direction than is the hole 16' so that considerable vertical misalignment of the couplers can occur while still achieving the vertical locking. If the vertical misalignment is too great during coupling, the dog 21 will be pushed back into cavity 20 against the resilient urging of the springs 28. However, as soon as better vertical alignment between the couplers is achieved, the dog will move out and into hole 16' by the urging of springs 28 so that it engages with the body of the adjacent coupler.

If thereafter some vertical misalignment between the couplers occurs, the initial portion of that vertical misalignment is taken up by the projection part 23 of the dog moving within hole 16. When the extent of that movement has been exceeded, some additional vertical movement is permitted by reason of the shaft 24 moving vertically in openings 25 against the resistance of the springs 28. The extent of that movement is limited by one of the cam follower edges 35, 36 coming into contact with the respective cam 33, 34. This contact applies an additional force holding the dog outwardly and in engagement with the body at hole 16'; at the same time any further vertical movement between the two couplers is prevented so that the couplers are securely locked" together and will not separate in the vertical direction.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that this vertical locking of two couplers occurs even though only one of the two couplers is equipped with a dog in accordance with the present invention. That dog, in engagement with the unequipped coupler, will permit only a limited amount of vertical movement either upwardly or downwardly. This is important in view of the fact that there are many cars in existence today and, obviously, the couplers of those cars are not going to be immediately scrapped.

The coupling will be maintained even though the cars go around a relatively sharp curve in thetrack. Such a curve causes the couplers to rotate with respect to one another and tends to move the knuckle of one coupler outwardly with respect to the body of the mated coupler. Despite this movement, the dog on the equipped coupler will maintain engagement with the body of the mated coupler.

lclaim:

1. In the combination of the first railway car coupler which mates with a second coupler on another car wherein the first coupler comprises a body with a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, which knuckle has a distal end which is adjacent a portion of the body of the second coupler when the two are coupled which portion has a face with a generally central hole therein, the improvement in the first coupler comprising:

said knuckle having an aperture extending inwardly from said distal end and approximately opposite said hole;

a dog positioned in said aperture and extending out through said distal end with a projection thereof extending into said hole, said dog having an enlargement on the side of said projection adjacent said knuckle which enlargement bears against said face of the second coupler body to limit the penetration of the projection into the hole; and

means pivotally connecting said dog to said knuckle for rotation with respect to the knuckle about a substantially vertical axis;

whereby when the couplers are coupled, the dog prevents separation of the couplers by a vertical movement of one coupler with respect to the other.

2. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means includes a spring resiliently urging the dog toward the second coupler.

3. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said aperture is of a greater dimension in the vertical direction than is the dog;

said means includes a vertical shaft connecting the dog and the knuckle for said pivotal movement and at the same time permitting vertical movement of the dog in said aperture, and a second spring, said springs being between the knuckle and the dog for urging said dog toward a vertically central position in said aperture.

4. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said springs are axially aligned with said shaft and at the ends thereof.

5 In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said knuckle at the top and bottom of said aperture defines cam means to urge the dog outwardly when the two come into contact.

6. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means includes a spring resiliently urging the dog toward the second coupler.

7. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said aperture is of a greater dimension in the vertical direction than is the dog;

said means includes a vertical shaft connecting the dog and the knuckle for said pivotal movement and at the same time permitting vertical movement of the dog in said aperture, and a second spring, said springs being between the knuckle and the dog for urging said dog toward a vertically central position in said aperture.

8. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said knuckle at the top and bottom of said aperture defines cam means to urge the dog outwardly when the two come into contact.

9. In the combination of a first railway car coupler which mates with a second coupler on another car wherein the first coupler comprises a body with a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, which knuckle has a distal end which is adjacent a portion of the body of the second coupler when the two are coupled which portion has a generally central hole therein, the improvement in the first coupler comprising:

said knuckle having an aperture extending inwardly from said distal end and approximately opposite said hole;

a dog positioned in said aperture and extending out through said distal end and into said hole;

means pivotally connecting said dog to said knuckle for rotation with respect to the knuckle about a substantially vertical axis;

whereby when the couplers are coupled, the dog prevents separation of the couplers by a vertical movement of one coupler with respect to the other;

said aperture being of a greater dimension in the vertical direction than is the dog;

said means including a vertical shaft connecting the dog and the knuckle for said pivotal movement and at the same time permitting vertical movement of the dog in said aperture; and

spring means between the dog and the nickel for resiliently urging said dog toward a vertically central position in said aperture.

10. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said knuckle and dog have a cam means on one and a cam follower means on the other for camming said dog outwardly from said knuckle after a substantial vertical movement between the dog and knuckle.

11. In the combination of a first railway car coupler which mates with a second coupler on another car wherein the first coupler comprises a body with a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, which knuckle has a distal end which is adjacent a portion of the body of 5 the second coupler when the two are coupled which portion has a generally central hole therein, the improvement in the first coupler comprising;

said knuckle having an aperture extending inwardly from said distal end and approximately opposite said hole; a dog positioned in said aperture and extending out UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION- pa nt 3,698,571 Dated October 17,1972

I Vaughn T. Hawthorne It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 36, "the", second occurrence, should read -a- Column 4, line 59, "nickel" should read --knuckle-.

Column 5, line 8, the semicolon should be deleted.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of March 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT QOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commlssloner of Patents FORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM -DC 60376-P69 U,S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1965 O35633 

1. In the combination of the first railway car coupler which mates with a second coupler on another car wherein the first coupler comprises a body with a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, which knuckle has a distal end which is adjacent a portion of the body of the second coupler when the two are coupled which portion has a face with a generally central hole therein, the improvement in the first coupler comprising: said knuckle having an aperture extending inwardly from said distal end and approximately opposite said hole; a dog positioned in said aperture and extending out through said distal end with a projection thereof extending into said hole, said dog having an enlargement on the side of said projection adjacent said knuckle which enlargement bears against said face of the second coupler body to limit the penetration of the projection into the hole; and means pivotally connecting said dog to said knuckle for rotation with respect to the knuckle about a substantially vertical axis; whereby when the couplers are coupled, the dog prevents separation of the couplers by a vertical movement of one coupler with respect to the other.
 2. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means includes a spring resiliently urging the dog toward the second coupler.
 3. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said aperture is of a greater dimension in the vertical direction than is the dog; said means includes a vertical shaft connecting the dog and the knuckle for said pivotal movement and at the same time permitting vertical movement of the dog in said aperture, and a second spring, said springs being between the knuckle and the dog for urging said dog toward a vertically central position in said aperture.
 4. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said springs are axially aligned with said shaft and at the ends thereof.
 5. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said knuckle at the top and bottom of said aperture defines cam means to urge the dog outwardly when the two come into contact.
 6. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means includes a spring resiliently urging the dog toward the second coupler.
 7. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said aperture is of a greater dimension in the vertical direction than is the dog; said means includes a vertical shaft connecting the dog and the knuckle for said pivotal movement and at the same time permitting vertical movement of the dog in said aperture, and a second spring, said springs being between the knuckle and the dog foR urging said dog toward a vertically central position in said aperture.
 8. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said knuckle at the top and bottom of said aperture defines cam means to urge the dog outwardly when the two come into contact.
 9. In the combination of a first railway car coupler which mates with a second coupler on another car wherein the first coupler comprises a body with a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, which knuckle has a distal end which is adjacent a portion of the body of the second coupler when the two are coupled which portion has a generally central hole therein, the improvement in the first coupler comprising: said knuckle having an aperture extending inwardly from said distal end and approximately opposite said hole; a dog positioned in said aperture and extending out through said distal end and into said hole; means pivotally connecting said dog to said knuckle for rotation with respect to the knuckle about a substantially vertical axis; whereby when the couplers are coupled, the dog prevents separation of the couplers by a vertical movement of one coupler with respect to the other; said aperture being of a greater dimension in the vertical direction than is the dog; said means including a vertical shaft connecting the dog and the knuckle for said pivotal movement and at the same time permitting vertical movement of the dog in said aperture; and spring means between the dog and the nickel for resiliently urging said dog toward a vertically central position in said aperture.
 10. In a coupler apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said knuckle and dog have a cam means on one and a cam follower means on the other for camming said dog outwardly from said knuckle after a substantial vertical movement between the dog and knuckle.
 11. In the combination of a first railway car coupler which mates with a second coupler on another car wherein the first coupler comprises a body with a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, which knuckle has a distal end which is adjacent a portion of the body of the second coupler when the two are coupled which portion has a generally central hole therein, the improvement in the first coupler comprising;: said knuckle having an aperture extending inwardly from said distal end and approximately opposite said hole; a dog positioned in said aperture and extending out through said distal end and into said hole; and means pivotally connecting said dog to said knuckle for rotation with respect to the knuckle about a substantially vertical axis while permitting said dog to move vertically in said aperture and with respect to the knuckle; said knuckle and dog having cam means on one and cam follower means on the other for camming said dog outwardly from said knuckle after a substantial vertical movement between the dog and knuckle. 